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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2008; 14(2): 265-271
Published online Jan 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.265
Is obesity associated with gastropharyngeal reflux disease?
Cheol Woong Choi, Gwang Ha Kim, Chul Soo Song, Soo Geun Wang, Byung Joo Lee, Hoseok I, Dae Hwan Kang, Geun Am Song
Cheol Woong Choi, Gwang Ha Kim, Chul Soo Song, Dae Hwan Kang, Geun Am Song, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
Soo Geun Wang, Byung Joo Lee, Department of Otolaryng-ology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
Hoseok I, Department of Chest Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
Correspondence to: Gwang Ha Kim, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, 1-10 Ami-dong, Seo-Gu, Busan 602-739, Korea. doc0224@pusan.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-51-2407869
Fax: +82-51-2448180
Received: September 30, 2007
Revised: November 20, 2007
Published online: January 14, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To examine the association between obesity and gastropharyngeal reflux disease (GPRD) as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients undergoing ambulatory 24-h dual-probe pH monitoring from July 2003 to December 2006. The association between body mass index (BMI) and parameters about gastroesophageal or gastropharyngeal reflux was examined in univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: A total of 769 patients (307 men and 462 women; mean age 50.7 years) were finally enrolled. Most variables showing gastroesophageal reflux was higher in the obese patients than the patients with normal BMI. There was no difference in all the variables showing gastropharyngeal reflux according to the BMI. After adjustment for age, sex, alcohol intake and smoking, obese patients demonstrated an about 2-fold increase in risk of GERD compared with patients with normal BMI (OR, 1.9; 95 CI, 1.3-2.9), but overweight patients did not demonstrate increased risk of GERD (OR, 1.2; 95 CI, 0.8-1.7). Both obese patients and overweight patients did not demonstrated increased risk of GPRD compared with patients with normal BMI (OR, 1.1; 95 CI, 0.8-1.7; and OR, 0.9; 95 CI, 0.6-1.3, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Obesity is not associated with GPRD reflux while it is associated with GERD.

Keywords: Obesity; Body mass index; Gastroesophageal reflux; Gastropharyngeal reflux